After stellar seasons with the University of Texas Longhorns, quarterback Colt McCoy was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2010 and became the Browns’ starting QB midway through his rookie season. We talked to McCoy about football, faith, family and his new book, Growing Up Colt: A Father, a Son, a Life in Football (Barbour) by Colt and his father Brad, a highly respected football coach.

YWJ: You are a busy NFL quarterback. Why was it important for you to write this book?

McCoy: Hopefully I have learned a few lessons along the way, and I have been given a platform to share some of those things. I am also incredibly thankful for the family I was raised in, and the book is a way for me to highlight what a great job my parents did raising my brothers and me.

YWJ: In the book you say your parents “prepared you for the path, not the path for you.” What do you mean by that?

McCoy: They let me grow up—ups and downs, success and failure. They did not expect me to be perfect, but only to do my best. The focus was always on my growth and development. It was about the how, not the what.

YWJ: There is a story in the book about you trying your hand at bull (steer) riding when you were a young kid. As the story unfolds, you thought you knew more than your dad and wanted to pick the steer you rode. Needless to say, you ended up on the ground before the ride was supposed to be over. What did you learn from that experience?

McCoy: The lesson for me there was: Trust the advice of those more experienced than you. I have been blessed with family, pastors and coaches who have poured into me and given me great guidance. I have always tried to lean on those who know me best.

YWJ: As you prepared to play Pittsburgh last year, as your practice concluded, you told the players in your huddle the “hay was in the barn.” What did you mean by that?

McCoy: We worked hard, and we were prepared. For us, the work was done—bring the rain. Although we didn’t win, the point was we were prepared; and that same effort paid dividends for us later in the season.

YWJ: Is that something you learned from your parents?

McCoy: Yes. They always told me, “It is going to be difficult, as well as challenging; but if you put the work in, you will succeed.”

YWJ: You attended a large university. What advice would you give a student entering an environment such as the University of Texas?

McCoy: The biggest thing is to rely on the foundation that was set in place in your life before you got there. Just decide that you are going to do the right thing and strive to live a life consistent with what you believe.

YWJ: That sounds great, but what are some practical things students can do to avoid the pitfalls of a university environment?

McCoy: Well, the biggest thing for me was surrounding myself with friends who shared my beliefs and lifestyle. We committed to keep each other accountable, prayed together regularly and studied the Word.

YWJ: What do you want fans to know about you?

McCoy: My heart, my soul, my body, my strength—without Him, I am nothing.